Attorney In Fla. Gambling Scheme Found Guilty

File photo of Florida Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll, who resigned earlier this year due to this case. (credit: Vallery Jean/Getty Images)

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — A Florida attorney has been found guilty of running a gambling operation that was disguised as a veterans charity.

Six jurors deliberated for 14 hours before finding attorney Kelly Mathis guilty Friday of possessing slot machines, helping operate a lottery and racketeering. He was found guilty on all but one of 104 counts against him.

Mathis was accused of operating dozens of so-called Internet cafes throughout the state. He is the first of 57 defendants to go on trial in the Allied Veterans case.

The case led to the resignation of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll and caused the Florida Legislature to ban Internet cafes earlier this year.

Mathis had claimed he was merely acting as an attorney, giving legal advice, and that the Internet cafes were legal until this year.